Could the LA Rams upgrade the roster with a pair of recently released Texans?

The LA Rams entered the 2023 offseason with a plan to refurbish their roster. As with any refurbishing, remodeling, or re-phraseology that you feel comfortable applying to the Rams strategy, the first step is to shed the old. For the most part, the LA Rams roster attacked that phase quickly and ruthlessly, either cutting or trading valuable veterans whom the Rams front office had decided were too expensive for their production.

But the second phase, reconstructing an NBA Playoff-worthy roster, has been limited to rookies and affordable veterans. And with so many NFL teams shopping for affordable value-added players, the supply of veterans has not allowed the Rams to add more than a handful of impact players to the roster.

But the Rams may have two more veterans to ponder. After all, any Rams free agency signings now will mean that one more player will need to be cut in a few days as every NFL team must pare down their roster to the 53-man limit. But why wait when the Rams can take a close look at two players released/waived recently by the Houston Texans:

And Houston, we have no problem with that.

Rams free agency options

Let's open the discussion by talking about offensive tackle Jacky Chen. Chen is a 6-foot-6 310-pound offensive tackle who has already signed and been waived from the Minnesota Vikings and now the Houston Texans. Throughout college, Chen was able to overpower defenders due to his size and strength.

Those are not nearly the same level advantage in the NFL.

But there may be better reasons to give a longer look to veteran defensive back Darius Phillips. Phillips is a defensive back who competed for four season with the Cincinnati Bengals, one season with the Denver Broncos, and is now looking to sign with a new team. Despite appearing in 56 games, he has no post-season experience.

What he does have is extensive pass coverage experience. Over the course of his NFL career, he has only allowed 64 completions out of 114 passes thrown at his receiver, which works out to a completion rate of just 56.1 percent. And, he recorded five interceptions as well as defended 23 passes to boot. If the LA Rams need a veteran DB to bridge the gap as younger DBs ramp up early this season, Phillips could be a solid option.

Adding more intrigue, Phillips is a seasoned special team return artist, having returned 30 punts for 209 yards, and 25 kickoffs for 542 yards. Phillips is 5-foot-10 and weighs 190 pounds. Best of all, at 28 years old, he has plenty of NFL playing time left in him.

The Rams may choose to ignore either player, and with the 53-man roster cuts just around the corner, that may be the wisest strategy of all. But if the Rams coaching staff do not see enough talent to last the 2023 NFL season, perhaps a Rams free agency signing would be a smart move after all.

It's better to load up with talent now, then scramble to find talent later.